Garment bag frame construction



March 2, 1954 H. E. EINHORN GARMENT BAG F'RAME CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1952 INV ENTOR. HARR Y E. EJNHORN ATTORNEY H. E. EINHORN GARMENT BAG FRAME CONSTRUCTION March 2, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 29, 1952 INVENTOR. HAFPF? Y E. E/NHORN BY I A TTOR NE Y Patented Mar. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT BAG FRAME CONSTRUCTION Harry E. Einhorn, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Hilton Tool and Machine (10., Bronx, N. Y.,

Application December 29, 1952, Serial No. 328,479

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to a spreader and hanger for garment bags, and particularly for those garment bags that are designed to serve a dual function as a transportable container and as a protective covering in acloset or the like.

Garment bags of the above type are usually constructed of a sturdy fabric, e. g.. canvas, and are provided with mean for hanging the bags from a horizontal rod in a closet or similar storage space. They further comprise means for receiving the hooks of individual garment hangers within the bags. In addition, they are provided with an external carrying handle by means of which they, with their contents, may be readily transported from place to place.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a uniquely constructed spreader and hanger arrangement which provides all of the abovementioned supporting elements including the carrying handle, or at least the means for attaching such a handle, the means for hanging the associated bag, as well as the means for supporting the garment hangers.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved garment hanger support rod comprising means for locking such hangers into engagement with said rod. An additional object is to provide means whereby the associated garment bag, when suspended, may be rotated to any position.

Another object is to provide a versatile arrangement of the above nature which is suscep-,

tible of numerous selectable constructions to'suit the requirements of the particular garment bag with which the arrangement is to be employed.

Numerous advantages to be derived from the present invention, as well as a complete understanding thereof, will appear from a reading of the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a garment bag employing a spreader and hanger constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the spreader and hanger in accordance with the present invention, illustrating an exemplary form thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the supporting plate forming a part of the assembly of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlargedfragmentary View of the swivel connection of the supporting hook forming a part of the assembly of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the details of the mount for the carrying handle as employed in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective of a garment bag illustrating the use of handle mounting lugs as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detailed view of a handle mounting lug employed in Figs. 2, 6, 9 and 12.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detailed view showing the manner in which the lug of Fig. 7 is secured to the supporting plate of Fig. 3. r

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of garment bag showing an alternative arrangement of the handle mounting lugs.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view'of th rod for receiving the garment hangers andthe novel locking arrangement associated therewith.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on line I l-ll of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing an alternative use of the carrying handle mounting lug.

Referring now to Fig. 1, there is shown the upper portion of a garment bag In having the usual rectangular configuration including a top panel ll, constructed of heavy material such as canvas. The top panel is provided with three inline openings, each opening suitably bound or otherwise reenforced along its edges. The central opening 12 is furnished to permit the passage of the hook I4 from within. In similar manner, the openings I6 are provided to allow the passage therethrough of the mounts I8 for the carrying handle 20. Further details of the preferred construction will be described below.

Fig. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the spreader and hanger comprising the invention.

. A mounting plate 22 is provided with its side edges wrapped around the side members 23a and 23b of a rectangular wire frame 24. As shown, the plate 22 is centrally located with respect to the ends of the frame 24. Slots 26 extending to the edge of the plate 22 are provided midway between the extremities of the respective side edges thereof to thereby accommodate the indentations or depressions 28 in the frame members 2311 and 23b. Only one of said depressions can be seen in Fig. 2. Extending transversely thereof and carried by the frame 24 through the use of offset hooked ends 30 and 32 (see Fig. 10) is a corrugated cross member 34. As seen in Fig. 10, the hooked ends 30 and 32 are offset from the cross member 34 by arms 36 and 38.

One feature of the invention which is best 11- lustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 comprises the looking member 40. which is hingedly connected to the arm 36 by having a longitudinal extension of its body wrapped around the arm at 42. In the position shown in Fig. 10, the member 40 has an opposing extension 44 formed to resiliently engage the opposite arm 38 for the purpose of frictionally retaining the member 40 in this position. As seen in Fig. 11, the member 40 includes a broad horizontal portion 46 which overlies the corrugated rod 34 so as to prevent unwanted disengagement of the hooks of the garment hangers such as the one designated by the reference character 48. When it is desired to remove or insert one or more garment hangers, it is only necessary to swing locking member 40 out of the way about its hinged end 42.

Returning to Fig. 2 and referring for details to Fig. 3, it can be seen that the mounting plate 22 is provided with a plurality of apertures comprising a centrally located circular opening 50, pairs of rectangular slots 52 adjacent opposite edges of the plate 22 and spaced equidistant from the longitudinal axis thereof, similar pairs of slots 54 adjacent opposite edges and spaced equidistant from the transverse axis thereof, and a bar-circle opening '56 adjacent each of the slots '2. Although not shown, a bar-circle opening could also be provided adjacent the slots 54.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that the central aperture 55 is employed to mount a swivel 58 which consists of an open loop or ring 60 of greater diameter than opening 59 whose ends are passed through opening 56 and spread divergently. Secured to the swivel 58 is the eye of hook 14.

Now if, for example, it is desired to employ a handle such as the one illustrated in Fig. l, wherein the mounts 18 are normally initially secured to the handle extremities, then the bar-circle openings 56 are employed. The structure shown in Fig. 2 minus the lugs 62 (these will be described further below) is first inserted within the bag. The rectangular frame spreads the bag and gives it its shape. Then the ears 64 of a mount 53 are passed through an opening H5 in the top of the bag and througha pair of the openings 58 in the mounting plate 22. The ears are then clinched to secure the mount to the plate as shown in Fig. 5. The openings 55, because of their shape, will receive ears having either a circular or a rectangular cross-section.

If, however, it is preferred to employ a handle such as the one shown in Figs. 6 and 9, which is provided with fastening hooks 56, then the mounting plate can he provided with the lugs 62, as shown generally in Fig. 2, and in greater detail in Figs. '7 and 8. For the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 wherein the handle is to follow the long axis of the bag, the slots 52 in the mounting plate are used. However, if it is desired to arrange the handle in a transverse position, as shown in Fig. 9, then the slots 54 are employed. Whichever set of slots are used, the construction is the same. A lug 62, see Figs. 7 and 8, having a circular aperture 68, and a transverse, rectangular slot '10, is provided with a pair of cars 12, dimensioned to pass through mating apertures 52 or 54, in the mounting plate. An H-shaped reenforcing member 14 is slipped over the ears which are then given a half twist to lock the lugs in place. As shown in Fig. 7, the handle hook is inserted through aperture 68, and, if desired, may be deformed to produce a closed eye, thereby insuring against removal.

The purpose of slot 10 is demonstrated in Fig. 12, wherein the end of a handle is shown secured to the lug by being passed through the slot. It is obvious that various. handles can be used in numerous arrangements with the basic structure consisting of the frame, mounting plate and swivelled hook.

The mounting plate 22, in addition to providin for great flexibility of use, also lends rigidity to the frame which must bear the weight of the garments as Well as the bag.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A combined spreader and hanger for garment bags comprising a rectangular skeleton wire frame member having an outer periphery corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of said bag and a transverse plate member having its side edges enveloping the Side members of said frame save at the mid-portions thereof, and centrally located with respect to the ends of the frame, said midportions of the frame being indented at points intermediate the ends of the frame member, a corrugated cross member secured in said indentations for supporting a plurality of garment hangers; said transverse plate member having a central circular aperture, a looped member having its ends extending downwardly through said aperture and turned at right angles to lie against the underside of said plate, with the loop extending above the surface of said plate, whereby the plate may be swivelly supported by said looped member, said plate having a pair of apertures at opposite sides andopposite ends thereof, a pair of hanger lugs having legs which are selectively engageable from above. in opposed pairs of said end apertures andopposed pairs of said side apertures, reinforcing clips engaged over the downwardly extending ends of the legs to secure the lugs to said plate, said lugs each having a circular aperture near its top and a substantially rectangular horizontal slot intermediate its top and bottom, said slots and apertures being selectively engaged by the opposed ends of carrying handles.

HARRY E. EINHORN. 

